my escape is only 3 yrs old and the damn 1/4 panel is rusting inside the wheel well .took to the ford bodyshop yesterday for warranty and they wouldn`t even try and fix it ,the bodyshop manager said it has to be a hole , I can bet you there is a pin hole in it and he agreed with me but he said pics won`t show it and ford will not pay to fix it which is bull .I`ve been doing bodywork for over 15 yrs and when I worked at dodge we would repair this kind of rust under warranty. we all know rust starts from the inside out.
SO MUCH FOR FORDS 5YR UNLIMITED MILEAGE WARRANTY FOR RUST THROUGH.
THIS IS MY 1ST AND LAST FORD I EVER BUY PIECE OF CRAP. BACK TO bmw for me with awsome warranties.

when you see paint peeling in the middle of no where thats not a stone chip. when I worked at ford years ago doing bodywork we had lots of trucks in peeling and doing warranty repairs on them, you could just use a razor blade and the paint would peel off. I guess ford can`t figure out how to make their paint stick yet . I thought I would take a chance and hoped they new what they were doing by now 20yrs later. but I was wrong.

when you see paint peeling in the middle of no where thats not a stone chip. when I worked at ford years ago doing bodywork we had lots of trucks in peeling and doing warranty repairs on them, you could just use a razor blade and the paint would peel off. I guess ford can`t figure out how to make their paint stick yet . I thought I would take a chance and hoped they new what they were doing by now 20yrs later. but I was wrong.

If you have been doing body work for many years why would you not fix it yourself it is a small area and under the lip. I have fixed many and I am not a body shop guy at all and I could get it done by the body shop at work for free but why complain about it just fix it yourself they only rust in that one area I check everyone that come into the dealership, all the newer escapes rust in the same spot rear top of wheel well lip were as the old ones rusted further forward. I agree it is a known defect and Ford should fix it but they do require multiple pictures to be taken of the vehicle, damaged spot and odometer so no more foolin Ford.

If you have been doing body work for many years why would you not fix it yourself it is a small area and under the lip. I have fixed many and I am not a body shop guy at all and I could get it done by the body shop at work for free but why complain about it just fix it yourself they only rust in that one area I check everyone that come into the dealership, all the newer escapes rust in the same spot rear top of wheel well lip were as the old ones rusted further forward. I agree it is a known defect and Ford should fix it but they do require multiple pictures to be taken of the vehicle, damaged spot and odometer so no more foolin Ford.

your right it is easy to fix but when you spend that much on a vehicle and it rust within 4 yrs , its bow shit :).

Can see your point , but if you are happy with vehicle apart from this , and it's only the one spot , I'd fix it as also suggested by r-clar . Especially as it should be a simple fix to someone like yourself .

Can see your point , but if you are happy with vehicle apart from this , and it's only the one spot , I'd fix it as also suggested by r-clar . Especially as it should be a simple fix to someone like yourself .

its both 1/4 pannels inside wheel lip and couple rust spots starting on the outside now of the 1/4 pannel just above the wheel well .